16/05/2023
NEWS STORY
Ongoing bad weather in the Emilia Romagna region it Italy, leads to teams having to evacuate the paddock at Imola.
For several weeks heavy rain in the region has led to flooding and landslides, which has resulted in at least two known deaths and hundreds of people being forced to leave their homes.
While the rain is anticipated to have eased off by the weekend the Regional Weather Service has issued a red-level alert warning, predicting 160mm of rain today and a further 110mm tomorrow (Wednesday).
As a result, amidst fears that the Santerno river, which flows behind the pits and paddock and around to Tosa, could burst its banks, F1 personnel working at the track have been ordered to leave the facility.
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Meanwhile, the National Crisis Unit, in association with local politicians, issued a brief statement
"It was shared the possibility that, in the areas affected by the red alert, the mayors could foresee, for tomorrow, the closure of schools and roads most at risk, starting from those near the banks and landslide areas," it read.
"The invitation to citizens is to avoid travel as much as possible and to resort, where possible, to smart working."
Though the rain is expected to ease off by Thursday, the disruption to the setting-up process will cause concern, as will the damage to trackside spectator banks and car parks.
F1 bosses and the FIA are understood to be in constant contact with officials in the region, the threat coming at a time Pirelli is to try a new wet-weather tyre which does not require tyre blankets before use.
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